1. Develop and implement a plan for fixing the building.
2. Secure funding to support all Library missions.
3. Lead university efforts to develop information literacy on campus.
4. Strengthen communication inside and outside the Library.
5. Embrace technology as an integral part of the Library mission.
6. Use ACRL standards to plan and assess Library activities.
7. Other recommendations.

Significant progress has been achieved on all seven (7) recommendations, and new energies are being directed to improving Library services and resources.  The Library is undergoing a reorganization process in April and May 2008.  The current University Librarian has resigned.  The Library staff have five weeks in which they can discuss and make recommendations of how the Library should be organized.  All recommendations will be shared and discussed between April 25 and the week of May 12-16, when the ATLAS Dean will make the decision about organizational structure.  Goals of the reorganization include focus on the new Library mission goals, improved services and resources, increased collaboration, and a decrease in the number of supervisors and levels of organization within the Library. 

Recommendation 1.  Develop and implement a plan for fixing the building.

Since November 2007, there has been a systematic plan in place for fixing and maintaining the Library portions of the Merrill Learning Center (MLC) building, including creation of new private group study rooms, maps and directories to assist visitors, a new room numbering system and signage for way finding, and improvements in the physical attractiveness and public and staff use of the space.  The non-Library part of MLC, in which Academic Technology (AT) is housed, was renovated in June 2007 to create a new eLearning Lab and to accommodate AT staff moving from the Jordan Student Academic Center.  A Merrill Learning Center web site (http://mlc.gallaudet.edu) with floor plans and a staff directory was completed in January 2008.           

List of Library Recommendations

1.1  Install a new security system as soon as possible.  A new security system was installed in 2003.  Building security was audited in January 2008, with additional improvements made in security exits.

 

1.2. Develop a short-term maintenance and replacement plan.  Establish better maintenance and cleaning practices.  Find creative ways to improve lighting in the public areas of the building.  Continue replacement of furnishings.  Better maintenance and cleaning practices were implemented in 2003.  A variety of short-term maintenance actions were instituted in Fall 2005:  painting and wall repair in selected locations, carpet cleaning, fixing of humidity problems, exploration of whether the Deaf Copy One room could be relocated (it couldn't), installation of a new door, and installation of a visual door bell for deliveries.  In February and March 2008, the entire building was painted and cleaned.  A lighting solution was tested in one area, to be followed by improvement in lighting of study areas throughout the building by Summer 2008.  Old clocks that did not keep accurate time were taken out, and new network and battery clocks are being installed.  Furnishings in the study areas were updated in 2004 with some new additions in January 2008.

 

1.3  Investigate new ways to waterproof the present building.  Water leaks have been with the Merrill Learning Center since it first opened in 1981.  Recent construction on campus has caused additional leaks and problems.  At the request of the ATLAS Dean, the Facilities Department in Administration and Finance has successfully implemented leak diverter solutions for some locations and has begun review of solutions for the Deaf Copy One (B310) room, the closed stack which houses non-circulating copies of the Deaf Collection.  An HVAC problem that was causing leaks in the University Records Room of the Archives (B225) has been repaired.  Funding for these repairs is coming from maintenance funds managed by Administration and Finance.

 

1.4  Consider opening up additional space by removing walls from underused classrooms.  Use some classroom space for new public areas and/or the Archives. Plan for better use of staff space.  In December 2005, additional space was allocated for Archives processing, including B411 and B405.  In December 2007, two new private study areas were created from former classrooms, a storage area was relocated to permit a new shelving operation that was not in the main traffic area of the building, and staff offices were rearranged to bring people who work together into the same area of the building.  All reference and instruction librarians are now co-located in the same area, where they can most easily assist library users.

 

1.5  Make the building a single-use facility by moving all programs except TV Production out of the building.  In August 2008, the building will become a single-use facility, with only ATLAS units, the Library and Academic Technology, remaining in the building.  The ASL and Deaf Studies Assessment and Evaluation Unit (AEU) will move to the new Sorenson Language and Communication Center (SLCC), and the Language Planning Institute (CAEBER and ASL Programs) will move to Hall Memorial Building (HMB).

 

1.6  Develop a long-range master plan for the Library.   Investigate funding and new designs for a new building.  Review this master plan with the University's Space Committee and establish the Library's priority in the University.  A new Library is represented on the University Master Facilities Plan.  A new building will likely be completed between 2014 and 2020.  At this time, it is premature to investigate funding.  In Fall 2008, a graduate course on Deaf Space will include preliminary discussions of possible new designs for the future Library.  Given the shift in how students use a library, we have much work to do to design the Library of the Future.  Further, the perception that "demolition is imminent" led to neglect of the current building.  A recent "Cousin Sally" article in the campus newsletter, On the Green, (February 15, 2008), included information about the University plans to replace the Library.     

List of Library Recommendations  

Recommendation 2.  Secure funding to support all Library missions.

The Library has begun using three key indicators of budget effectiveness and efficacy: total library expenditures per FTE student, total collection expenditures per FTE student, and total expenditures on the Deaf Collection and Archives per FTE student, with each indicator disaggregated by the categories used in the NCES survey of academic libraries and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) survey.  When the costs of the WRLC consortium are added to the direct expenditures on the collection, Gallaudet exceeds the per FTE student expenditures for many similar institutions.  Additional funds are needed to build Library resources and services, but the data does not bear out community perceptions that the Library is woefully underfunded.  Efforts are underway to establish a consistent peer group of academic libraries from institutions of similar size, with similar types of educational programs (including Masters' and Doctoral programs), and missions that include special collections and archives, as well as a general collection to support academic programs.  Baseline data and benchmarks for expenditures on the Deaf and General Collections will be established in Fall 2008.  The Library will also provide data for the Gallaudet Strategic Plan (Objective 5.1), which focuses on assets added and digitized for the Deaf Collection, Archives, and Video Catalog.

Efforts to increase the Library base budget will continue, using a variety of strategies.  Although payroll is now centralized at Gallaudet, efforts will be made to reclaim some funds freed up through retirements and resignations to be applied to developing the Library collections and services.  It is anticipated that the budget priorities for FY2009 and request for the FY2010 federal appropriation will contain increased funds for the Library.  Requests for corporate donations and federal and non-federal grants will also be made, where possible.  The new ATLAS Dean has a strong record of grantsmanship, which will be applied to identified needs. 

List of Library Recommendations

2.1  Rewrite the Library mission to recognize the multiple missions of the Library (General Collection, Deaf Collection, Archives).  The new mission for the Library created in January 2008 recognizes the three main missions of the Library.  The Library and Archives missions are available on the ATLAS website, http://atlas.gallaudet.edu.

 

2.2  Work with the Provost to develop an overall plan for securing funding to support all approved missions of the Library. As noted above, increased funding for the Deaf Collection and Archives is being specified and approved, within the budget constraints of the University.

 

2.3  The Provost must become the strongest advocate for the Library.  The current Provost's action to merge the Library and Academic Technology is evidence of his advocacy for the Library, as is his efforts to increase the budget within the constraints of the current University budget.  The Academic Budget Director is also a strong advocate for the Library, working to identify endowment and donation funds that match the Library mission.

 

2.4  Develop a plan for allocating scarce resources for collection development based on actual use and needs of students.  The formula for funding additions to the collection for specific disciplinary areas has been updated to reflect better the distribution of students by undergraduate major and graduate program.  Circulation data is considered when the Librarians make selections.  A new system from Yankee Book Peddlers will enable greater participation in the selection process for building the Library collection by the Gallaudet community, and new energies are being directed to building stronger relationships between the Library and academic departments.

 

2.5  In the annual budget presented to the Provost, identify funds allocated and used to accomplish each Library mission.  The accounting system used to track expenditures is being modified to more closely document expenditures on the three main missions (defined, in the 2001 report, as building of the three collections: Archives, Deaf Collection, General Collection).

 

2.6  The University shall increase immediately and significantly the funds available to the Library for collection development.  During the period from 2002 to 2005, when a University Librarian was not on staff, funds for that position were used to increase the collection development funds.  During FY2006 and FY2007, funding for collection development was flat (and lower than in the 2002-2005 period, but funds were reallocated from paying for print journals which are now available online to paying for additional books and other materials for the various disciplines.  In FY2008, an additional $100,000 is expected to be spent on the Deaf Collection and Archives.

 

2.7  Develop and implement a plan for funding, establishing, housing, staffing, and maintaining a Museum of Deaf History and Culture.  In Fall 2007, the new Provost who began his term in July 2007, created a committee to develop plans for a Museum.  That committee will submit a report in Summer 2008.

List of Library Recommendations

ATLAS established a new advisory council in March 2008 to address instruction, assessment, and campus-wide collaboration of information literacy and technological competence, which we consider a subset of information literacy.  The Information Literacy Advisory Council (ILAC) is composed of reference and instruction librarians, Academic Technology staff, faculty representatives from the four GSR courses taught during the freshmen year (GSR 101, 102, 103, and 150), the director of Tutorial and Instruction Programs (TIP), the executive director of the Office of Assessment, and the faculty development officer.  The Council met for the first time the week of March 9, 2008.  The Council reviewed data from assessments of Fall 2007 GSR courses and began creating an action plan for improving integration of information literacy in GSR courses.  The Council charge and action plan is online at http://atlas.gallaudet.edu/ilac.xml.  In FY2009 and FY2010, undergraduate and graduate faculty representatives will be added to the Council and the steps involved in identifying student learning outcomes, assessment, and instructional strategies will be repeated.

The Library also continues with a variety of classroom demonstrations, workshops, and one-on-one assistance in promoting student information literacy.   Each classroom demonstration or workshop is followed by a brief survey to determine student learning.

The Information Literacy Advisory Council (ILAC) will coordinate greater collaboration among the faculty, professional staff in Academic Technology and the Center for Academic Programs and Student Services (CAPSS), and professional librarians to achieve greater collaboration and effective instruction and assessment of information literacy and technological competence.

List of Library Recommendations

3.1  Change the focus of the Library's instructional program from the current emphasis on bibliographic instruction to information literacy.  The instruction provided by the Librarians has always addressed the wider range of information literacy, rather than being focused exclusive on bibliographic instruction (sometimes referred to as Library Orientation Training). 

 

3.2  Library staff shall take responsibility for, and be proactive in, educating the University community on information literacy and its role in the learning process.  Library staff continue to offer a variety of workshops and instructional sessions on various aspects of information literacy and learning.  The librarians have also co-taught, with Academic Technology staff, in the e-Curriculum workshops for faculty since 2004.  The Information Literacy Advisory Council will offer opportunities for expanded discussion of shared responsibilities for developing information literacy among the community.  Faculty development activities for Fall 2008 are currently being designed.

 

3.3  Integrate information literacy instruction into First Year Seminar (FYS) courses and/or independent short courses.  The Library has integrated information literacy instruction into FYS, GSR, and other courses, as well as offered independent workshops. 

 

3.4  Use the ACRL Information Literacy Competencies as the basis for incorporating information literacy instruction throughout the Gallaudet curriculum.  The Library staff have always used the competencies as a basis for instruction.  The Information Literacy Advisory Council (ILAC) is also reviewing the MSCHE guidelines for information literacy and will audit the University-wide and department-level student learning outcomes for incorporation of the competencies.  More intentional linkages and clearer lines of shared responsibility for development of information literacy is an anticipated result from ILAC meetings and actions. 

List of Library Recommendations

4.1  Schedule regular meetings of all full-time Library staff.  Between September 2005 and November 2007, only one all-staff meeting was held on January 13, 2006.  Holiday parties were held in 2005 and 2006, with all staff attending, some on a rotating basis.  In December 2007, an ATLAS holiday party was held, with staffs from both Academic Technology and the Library.  The Library and Academic Technology offices remained open with student workers on duty.  On January 2-3, 2008, the Library was closed for a retreat and internal work.   All-Staff Library meetings are currently scheduled for Thursday, March 20, the weeks of April 28 and May 11, and Monday, June 2. 

 

4.2  Use multiple modes of communication within the Library.  Internal communication is enhanced through two email distribution lists, lib.staff@gallaudet.edu and lib.admin@gallaudet.edu, where staff can share information with each other.  A shared Google calendar is used for Library staff leave, and each unit also has a shared Google calendar for their events.  Public events such as Library workshops are announced via the Daily Digest, via the University Calendar, and will be announced on a shared ATLAS public calendar via Google Apps.  The Library mail room has been moved to a more convenient location for collection development, and announcements can also be posted in that room. 

 

4.3 Open a dialog to address needs and issues of deaf employees.  A Deaf Employees Task Force was formed in Fall 2005, after which some actions to improve communications were implemented.  In Fall 2007, some deaf employees still reported feeling left out of decisions and communications.  At the January 2008 retreat, two sessions were held without interpreters and without voice, thereby putting everyone on equal footing and emphasizing deaf turn-taking practices.  Direct communication, rather than relying on interpreters, has been instituted in the Library Management Committee (LMC).  A new path for career advancement for technicians (most of whom are deaf) was created in the form of a specialist position. 

 

4.4  Invite staff from any unit of the organization to address a problem.  Determine better ways to train or use student assistants.  At the January 2008 retreat, the entire staff was invited to contribute to solutions for addressing two vital issues - improving the process of building the library collection and improving all-Library collaboration for reference and instruction services related to the Deaf Collection and Archives.  Cross training has been been conducted within the Collection Management unit.  In April and May 2008, the Library staff will be considering ideas of how best to reorganize the Library.  It is anticipated that training for Library student assistants will be integrated with training provided for Academic Technology (AT) student assistants in Fall 2008.  Cross training, especially for student workers in AT media services and Library circulation services, will be explored.

 

4.5  Share library collection budget information in writing as early in the year as possible and with all who need to know.  Share information regarding budget changes.  In FY2006 and FY2007, much of the collection development purchasing was concentrated in the months of May-August.  Beginning in November 2007, a decision was made to spread collection spending throughout the year.  Collection budget reports, previously shared with only a few, are now shared with the entire Library staff.  A formal budget spending and planning report is due each month, and the summary shared with the entire Library staff (effective April 2008). 

 

4.6  Plan a multi-phased public relations program.  Offer training to develop advocacy skills among Library staff.  Incorporate advocacy and public relations into responsibilities of Library staff.  Various public relations efforts have been attempted, primarily focused on advertising Library workshops and recognizing student excellence in research skills through an award from the Library.  Job descriptions have begun to be reviewed, and greater focus will be placed on public relations.  In 2008, the Library is collaborating with other campus units on events related to the 2008 U.S. Elections and is also involved in planning a bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln for 2009.  During Fall 2008, advocacy training will be provided.  Specific advocacy and public relations activities will be part of the three-year plan for the Library.

 

4.7  Articulate the varying needs of different library users and develop plans for the best ways to serve first year students, upperclass students, graduate students, faculty, and researchers [and distance education students].  Recognition of the changes in how all constituencies use Library resources and services is informing new ways of serving the Gallaudet community.  For example, more online and full-text resources are available, and the Library is planning web site updates to accommodate those who do not visit the Library physically.  Changes in the circulation policies are being considered for faculty members.  The needs of distance education students are addressed through mailings of checked out materials and more online resources.

 

4.8   Invite discussions with Academic Technology and the Center for Academic Programs and Student Services (CAPSS) about ways to integrated Library services and information technology with the facilities, programs, and services to be offered in the new "smart" building (the Jordan Student Academic Center, JSAC).  As previously noted, Academic Technology and the Library began extensive work together in 2004, and Library staff participated in eCurriculum training provided in the JSAC.  The Library also works with Tutorial and Instructional Programs (TIP).  Recent efforts have focused on improving the technology available in the Library, rather than moving/integrating services into into JSAC.  Indeed, Academic Technology has moved out of JSAC and into the Library.

 

4.9  Work with the University Development Office to write a fundraising plan for the Library.  The Library has received some small donations, primarily for Archives microfilm and digitization projects and development of the Deaf Collection.  Per the University Librarian, the Development Office's focus on fundraising for the Sorenson Language and Communication Center and a Presidential Endowed Chair precluded greater fundraising efforts.  Also, the University has experienced a downturn in donations with some donors indicating that they will consider donations again after the University has its accreditation reaffirmed in 2008 or 2009.  Following Library reorganization in Summer 2008, greater attention will be directed toward fundraising plans.  The ATLAS Dean is on the committee to interview candidates for the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

List of Library Recommendations

5.1  Develop and implement a comprehensive technology plan for the Library.  A formal written technology plan has not been created. Such a plan will be part of the broader three-year plan for the Library to be created in Summer and Fall 2008.

 

5.2  Identify and remove obstacles to staff training in technology.  A Library Instruction room was created in January 2008 to permit more hands-on training with technology.  For training of things such as the new Google Apps email system, training was provided on an individual basis.

 

5.3  Make better use of existing training on campus.  The Reference and Instruction Librarians frequently participate in technology training related to instructional uses of technology and have been trained to use the web content management system.

 

5.4  Continue working with Academic Technology to develop and teach appropriate training courses for Library staff.  Academic Technology customized some basic technology training workshops for the Library in 2003 and 2004.  Academic Technology also created a new data base system for the Library in 2003 and taught staff in the Collection Management unit to use that system.  Library staff continue to provide their own training on customized software such as the Voyager system.

 

5.5  Increase technology partnerships with Academic Technology.  As previously noted, the Library and Academic Technology have formed partnerships in teaching eCurriculum workshops for faculty and in providing e-Reserves and other materials through the my.Gallaudet Blackboard Learning system.  The Library also participated in the development of the Gallaudet Video Catalog through providing materials for digitizing and linking ALADIN catalog records to the corresponding record in the online video catalog.

 

5.6  Assign one vacant position to that of Library System Analyst.  The Gallaudet Library is too small for a full-time system analyst and finding a person with skills in that area as well as other needed areas has not been possible.  Also, the WRLC provides most functions that would be provided by a system analyst.  The GOBI3 training mentioned above included information about new reports and options that can assist in executing Library services more efficiently and effectively.  For example, a new alert system and ways of communicating about the status of collection development efforts are available, as are peer comparison and consortial reports.  As we move toward the Library of the Future, it is likely that more and more of every job in the Library will require more technical skills. 

 

5.7  Train student workers more extensively in the technology of the Library.  Student workers primarily assist in circulation, acquisitions, processing, and the Archives.  Each student receives training in using the Library systems in that area.  New ways of training and cross-training students will be explored as part of the Library reorganization in Summer 2008.

 

5.8  Take full advantage of available WRLC software capabilities for making management decisions.  The 2001 report on the Library did not provide any details about this recommendation.  The Gallaudet Library takes full advantage of available WRLC software.  Between 2003 and 2007, the Archives added three digital collections using WRLC software:  The Silent Worker, the papers of Benjamin M. Schowe, and the Alumni Cards.  The ATLAS Dean met with WRLC staff in January 2008 to review the software offerings and to discuss digital library applications.  One potential project is digitizing student publications such as the Buff and Blue newspaper.  The Gallaudet Library will also be exploring Open Content initiatives.  Gallaudet participates in Project MUSE, an online data base of electronic journals from non-profit publishers. 

 

5.9  Redistribute computers around public spaces within the Library and/or reopen and staff the computer lab.  The computer lab in the Library was never closed.  The idea of distributing additional computers around public spaces in the Library will be implemented in Summer 2008.  The network switches in the Library are currently near capacity, so additional planning is needed before support for the need of "I'm down in the stacks, and I need to look up something in the catalog" can be implemented.

 

5.10  Increase the number of public access computers.  During Summer 2008, adding catalog computers in the stacks will result in an increase in the number of public access computers.  Gallaudet University has more than doubled the number of computers in general purpose computer labs and classrooms since 2001.  There has not been demonstrated need for more computers in the Library, based on use and demand.

 

List of Library Recommendations

7.1  Survey Library users to determine what hours best fit their needs.  A survey is planned for Fall 2008.  The Library staff discussed a possible survey for Spring 2008 during the January 2008 retreat, but decided to focus on solving known issues such as lighting and improved study areas before undertaking a survey.  Also, the Gallaudet community has many surveys being conducted in Spring 2008, and it was decided to use informal methods of gathering input before a formal survey in Fall 2008.

 

7.2  Have at least one full-time Library staff member on duty during all open hours.  This recommendation was met in 2003, when a new evening supervisor was hired.  However, the option of having only student workers on duty for some open hours will be explored, as a potential way of extending hours and of providing the Librarians more time to focus on development of information literacy skills.  Quick and extensive reference services on a "just-in-time" basis is a hallmark of the Gallaudet Library.  Care must be taken to keep that hallmark while also providing greater flexibility.

 

7.3  Explore providing all student workers with a common orientation to Library functions and services.  Provide increased training in use of information technology.  Explore opportunities available to student workers.  Provide systems for rewarding and promoting successful student workers into more demanding, higher paying jobs. Currently job duties are fairly contained within a single unit within the Library and training follows unit boundaries.  As previously noted, integrated training for student workers in the Library and Academic Technology will be explored.  Reorganization may also offer other options. 

 

7.4  Analyze work flow in all units for increased efficiency and possible staff reallocation.  The Library staff has decreased from a total of 25 positions in 2001 (with two openings) to a total of 20 positions (with one opening) in 2008.  Staff reallocations have occurred, based on outsourcing of some cataloging and the need for increased staff in the Archives.  Work flow is being analyzed on an on-going basis.  For example, a problem in communication about the status of selections and orders for new catalog materials was identified.  This topic was discussed at the January 2008 Retreat, and it's being addressed with new features in the GOBI3 software, and status reports are now being created more frequently.

 

7.5  Outsource all copy cataloging.  Reassign staff to tasks that may only be done in the Gallaudet Library.  Cataloging of approximately 70% of general materials was outsourced in 2001, through the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) PromptCat service, which was recently renamed Cataloging Partners.  As new partners join the OCLC service (e.g., Amazon), Gallaudet is adding those new partners, which reduces the amount of cataloging needed for the general collection.  In January 2008, titles for the Deaf Collection that are available through PromptCat were added to the contract.  Cataloging of original deaf materials is done by Gallaudet Library staff in the Collection Management and Archives units.

 

7.6  Explore new organizational structure that utilizes staff effectively and facilitates change.  Form cross-unit teams to resolve problems and identify new areas of needed change.  The current organizational structure of three units (Archives, Collection Management, Information Services) with the current names has existed since 1995.  A new organizational structure will be explored in April through June 2008. 

 

7.7  Place the question of how best to utilize the remaining vacant position as the first item on the agenda for an all-staff meeting.  The vacant position from 2001 was filled with a position for an Archives technician, who subsequently left and was replaced in 2003.  That individual left the job in 2006, and the position was not filled.  An open position from Collection Management was repurposed for the Archives in January 2008.  Collection Management has reduced a total of three positions since 2001. 

 

List of Library Recommendations